


back in time

by Musing_and_Music



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alchemy, Dealing with Ishval, F/M, Investigations, Military ball (last chapter), Mutual Pining, Taking care of a baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29183580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musing_and_Music/pseuds/Musing_and_Music
Summary: During the arrest of a thief, Riza is caught in an alchemical circle, transforming her into a baby. While looking for a solution to bring her back, Roy takes care of her. During this time, he learns a lot about her and about himself.
Relationships: Grumman & Riza Hawkeye, Grumman & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang, Roy Mustang & Team Mustang
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This story lives in my mind since October, and because I wanted to post in French and in English at the same time when the writing would be nearly over, it took me a long time. But here we are!
> 
> Thanks to [fullmetalscully](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalscully) and [dragonifyoudare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonifyoudare) for being my beta-readers!
> 
> In this fic, there is alchemy, a baby, an investigation, an old story, a military parade and a ball, and feelings being told, in six chapters that I hope you'll like.  
> Disclaimer: FMA is not mine, but Hiromu Arakawa's work.  
> Enjoy!

”Colonel, I think we’ve got a lead!”

Master Sergeant Fuery and Second Lieutenant Breda ran into colonel Mustang’s office, out of breath but with smiles on their faces. Fuery held a stack of papers that he put on the vast briefing table. The other members of the team approached.

“The witnesses were really helpful, sir.” Breda announced. “It’s the Transformer, we’re sure of it. Of course, there are some differences from the other composite pictures, but I think it’s because of how they saw the burglar. They share lots of similarities.”

He spread Fuery’s papers on the table, allowing everyone to see the pictures. The face of a woman in her forties looked back at her. Piercing eyes, sharp cheekbones, flat forehead, and short, messy hair were the main characteristics of the burglar they’re looking for. For three months she had been attacking jewellers and watchmakers, her lower face masked, so nobody would know who it was. Each theft was worth more than a million cenzs. The more burglaries happened, the more the people of East City protested the military’s inaction. By order of Lieutenant General Grumman, Mustang unit had replaced the MPs, who had struggled with the investigation. Grumman had given them one month to find the culprit and close the case.

As they discovered new information, Mustang and his men renamed their suspect the Transformer. Thanks to clever disguises, she always acted with a different appearance. That hadn’t helped the MPs.

“This time she’s in her prime”, Havoc said. “Last week she wasn’t more than twenty-five, and the week before she was practically a senior citizen! She’s really talented with her costumes.”

“I wonder how the MP didn’t see it was the same person each time. The modus operandi was the same”, Fuery said.

“They didn’t think about all the possibilities”, Breda replied.

While the men spoke, Riza was thinking intensely, her eyes on their target’s. One thing was certain, the burglar was the same woman each time. Her physical strength didn’t change regardless of her appearance. This invalidated the theory of multiple perpetrators from the same family. She robbed the less protected shops first and outside peak hours. So far, there hadn’t been any casualties, despite the fact she’d handled a gun to threaten shop keepers and patrons. She cut all means of communication before her attacks to prevent the employees from calling for help.

Riza looked at the sharp eyes of the Transformer and wondered what was driving this woman to steal from jewellers and other luxury stores in East City? Was it greed? Debts? Something else?

A flash of intuition struck her, and she left the group around the table. She took a map of East City fom a cabinet and spread it out next to the drawings. The team looked at her, expecting her to speak.

“Warrant Officer Falman, can you tell me where and when the thefts occurred?”

While Falman listed the names and locations of the stores thanks to his impressive memory, she circled them and wrote the date of each crime next to the location. Gradually, a pattern appeared. Jewellers and watchmakers’ shops alternated clearly, but the locations didn’t follow any plan, nor did the size of the store. Riza spotted the pattern at the same time as Roy, who beat her to the punch.

“The next hold-up will be a jeweller’s store!” he said.

“Yes, but where? That’s the real question, here.” Riza added.

Roy ordered Fuery to make a list from all the untouched jewellers in the city, and asked Havoc and Breda to check the security in the premises of the stores. They would get in touch with those they judged were most likely to be targeted because of a lack of security to warn them about the military surveillance that would be set as part of the investigation.

Less than half an hour later, they left the office with a complete list in hand. Falman informed Mustang and Hawkeye that he would be in the archive room to check the files of previous hold-ups in East City. Riza nodded and resumed her gathering of the composite pictures and and organizing them by date and by the suspect’s apparent age. The map stayed on the table, the stores that could be targeted next marked in red.

“Lieutenant, thank you for taking this initiative.” Roy said. “You’ve been very helpful.”

Riza turned to face him. He wore a sincere smile, his pen hovering above the paperwork he was filling out.

“You’re welcome, sir. I had a hunch, and it appears it was a good one.”

“Since you’ve been under my command, I’ve learnt to follow your hunches. I wonder how we could have managed without you these last years.”

Riza stood still, but her cheeks were warm from his praise.

“I am certain you would have coped eventually.”

“Not as well as with you, I’m sure of that.”

“I know you often get your way thanks to flattery, but it won’t work with me, sir. Get back to your work, please. You were making actual progress earlier.”

“It wasn’t flattery, Lieutenant. It was the truth.” Roy laughed to himself and resumed his work. The paperwork was less thrilling than the ongoing investigation.

Trying to hide the red of her cheeks, Riza kept her back to him. One thing was sure, Roy Mustang hadn’t changed since his years of apprenticeship. He still loved to tease her. With him, it meant he cared about her, even if it was purely an expression of his friendship to her.

Someone knocked at the door, distracting her. She stood and opened it, revealing a young private. He held two envelopes out to her, his expression slightly nervous. “This is urgent dispatch from Central Command for Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye, sir.”

Riza thanked him and took the envelopes. She put hers on her desk. Roy opened it as soon as she told him it was urgent, as if the big red URGENT stamped upon it was not helpful enough.

As Roy read, Riza saw a frown appear on his face. She opened her own envelope, apprehensive. Reading the letter, she immediately understood her Commanding Officer’s weary sigh.

_Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye,_

_We have the honour to invite you to the celebration of the fifth anniversary of our victory in the Ishvallan War. As a war veteran who proved her skills and valour on the battlefield, we consider that your attendance is essential to the military parade on the 16 th of May 1914 and to the gala dinner that will be held at 8pm in the residence of his Excellency the Führer King Bradley._

_It is of paramount importance to show to our country and our military forces the support of the remarkable soldiers and citizens who are part of it and are the pride of the Amestrian Nation._

_Please let us know on the RSVP card if you intend to come alone or with a companion._

Riza skipped the usual formulas of courtesy, written by an unknown functionary. She kept her expression neutral, trying to digest the words of the letter.

“So, they really want us to come…” She whispered for herself.

Roy heard her.

“They won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, especially from us. We’re a symbol of victory,” He said. That they were the symbol of an army that didn’t have second thoughts about sending its soldiers to kill the citizens of its own nation went unspoken. “We managed to avoid this so far, but for the fifth anniversary, it seems it won’t be possible. They want to mark the occasion, show us as the best examples of soldiers for this generation.”

The bitterness in Roy’s voice reminded Riza of still too clear memories. A metallic taste lingered on her tongue as she looked at him. From their offices, high-ranking officers only saw results, not the harsh reality of the battlefield, the trauma, the guilt, and the aftermath of wounds. They wanted her to make a show of herself, proud of having killed so many innocents, when her objective was to atone for her faults to the people she had hurt.

Roy smiled at her, but she could see the pain in his dark eyes. “As difficult as it will be, we have to go, Lieutenant. If… if you want to, maybe we could…”

Falman’s sudden return interrupted him. He was waving a folder excitedly. Roy’s question stayed in the air, and Riza briefly wondered what he’d wanted to ask her. What if he was…? No, it was a foolish idea, and she dismissed it, before turning to the Warrant Officer.

“It seems like several jewellery stores had been attacked a few years ago. All the owners have set up better security because of it. I don’t think they’ll be targeted by the Transformer. I’ve already informed the rest of the team. Still, they’ll go and check if anything has changed since.”

Roy thanked him, and the three of them went back to their own files and reports.

* * *

A few days later, nothing had come of the constant surveillance of the untouched jewellery stores by the MPs. The squad began to wonder if the Transformer had seen the undercover cops, despite the precautions they’d taken.

When the phone finally rang around mid-morning, Roy answered eagerly. “Colonel Mustang speaking. Good. Stay where you are, we’re coming right now.”

At the end of the call, Roy rose picked up his gloves off his desk. “We’re going. The “One Ring” jewellery store just has been robbed, and one of the MPs followed the culprit to her hideout. The others are still dealing with the aftermath of the hold-up.”

His subordinates followed him. Ten minutes later they and several other soldiers piled into two cars and a van, heading to the hideout of the Transformer. It was a suburban house, with a neglected garden and several cracked windows. It looked like a good place for squatters.

Knowing their arrival wasn’t exactly discrete, they encircled the house to prevent anyone from fleeing. The officer who’d been watching approached and informed them that nobody had entered the house after the suspect. Mustang, with Havoc and Hawkeye, approached the front door.

“Come out and surrender! You are surrounded! You are under arrest for the robbery of ten jewelleries and watchmakers’ shops! Get out, hands on your head!”

The Colonel’s order remained unanswered, so he turned toward Havoc. The Second Lieutenant produced a lockpick from his pocket. Less than a minute later he’d expertly unlocked and opened the door. The three of them entered, service weapons drawn in case the suspect would be armed. There were three doors leading off to the left, two to the right and one straight ahead that looked like it led to the back garden. There was also a flight of stairs on their left.

“Hawkeye, check here. Havoc, stay back to support while I look up the stairs.” Roy whispered.

He began to climb slowly, and Riza advanced through the corridor, step by step. She found the bathroom behind the first door, and an office behind the second. There was no one to be seen, but papers and books were scattered everywhere across the room. Some familiar titles drew the Lieutenant’s attention before she moved on. She’d often seen these alchemy books in the hands of her father or his apprentice. The first door on the right led to an empty living room and a dining room which contained nothing of note. The last door on the left was slightly ajar, and she cautiously opened it. It was the kitchen. There was no one here, either.

She was about to leave when something caught her attention. Behind the table, at first hidden from her, a trapdoor was lying wide-open in the middle the floor. The Transformer was likely in the basement. Riza informed Havoc and climbed down the ladder. She found her in a cramped space, with a tiled floor, which was lit with a lone, flickering bulb. There was another door, this time made of metal, on the wall opposing the ladder. Riza pushed it open, gun in hand.

She immediately stiffened. A woman was bent over a wooden crate and rummaging in it, her back to Riza.

“Stand up and raise your hands. Turn toward me, slowly.” Riza commanded with a firm voice.

The woman froze but then obeyed. Riza realised that she was smaller than they’d been told by the witnesses. Was it the suspect they were looking for? However, her doubts disappeared when she saw the features of the teenager standing in front of her. The eyes, the cheekbones, the forehead, the hair, all belonged to their target. She must have used padding to imitate the figure of an older woman, given how slim she was. And that had been effective.

“How did you find me?” Her question laced with surprise.

“So, you’re the one who attacked the jeweller’s store today.” Riza took a few steps to the middle of the room. “Keep your hands up and move away from the crate.” She turned to shout to her colleagues, briefly leaving her eyes from her target. “Havoc! Colonel! I’ve found her!”

She realised too late she’d made a mistake. The teen’s sudden movement caught her unprepared. Instead of lunging for Riza, the girl slammed her hands on the floor. A green light rose around Riza. How could she have not considered the eventuality of the suspect being an alchemist? Before she could curse herself more, a sudden ache pierced her head and unconsciousness claimed her.

Roy had explored a bathroom and two empty bedrooms when Havoc called him. Their suspect was likely to be in the basement. He ran down the stairs, throwing caution to the wind, to help his subordinates. Havoc waved at him from the kitchen door. At Riza’s shout, he climbed down the ladder first and Roy quickly followed behind. He entered through the metallic door to see Havoc restraining a teenager on the ground and green lightnings fade in a transmutation circle. In the middle a pile of clothes was lying down. Riza was nowhere to be seen. His instinct told him that the clothes were his Lieutenant’s uniform and his blood boiled. He ran to Havoc and took out a pair of handcuffs and restrained the girl. Havoc could take care of her. His thoughts were focused on Riza. What had happened? Where was she? He approached the uniform. It moved slightly, or something underneath did. Roy cautiously pulled the blue jacket aside, and his eyes opened wide.

How was it possible?

A baby with amber eyes and short blond hair was staring at him, looking as surprised as he was.

“Hawkeye?” He said, flabbergasted.

The baby began to cry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Here we are, chapter 2 is out! Thank you for your kudos and subscriptions! I'm glad you liked the first chapter!  
> Thanks again to my beta-readers, fullmetalscully and dragonifyoudare, they were very helpful, even if I got more work to edit chapter 4! That means the story will be even better!  
> I hope you'll like this chapter, so enjoy!

In Mustang's office, the atmosphere was wearisome. The five officers were glancing at each other, bewildered. They all had the same question in mind. What could they do to bring their Lieutenant back to normal? And how could they explain her absence and the presence of a baby within Eastern Headquarters?

"We will take care of her, won't we?" Fuery asked, uncertain.

Roy was holding mini Riza in his arms. They had found something to dress her in after they'd left the Transformer's house. Now Riza was wriggling in pyjamas the same blue than the army uniform. Roy had to confess that this shade suited Riza, whatever her apparent age was.

"We'll find a solution. Until then, we'll keep her with us." Roy said. "Now we need to figure out who will take care of her outside of working hours."

The men exchanged embarrassed glances. "Er… I can't have a dog in the dormitories, so I think a baby will be out of the question." Fuery said.

"I'm in the same situation," Breda added.

Havoc pulled out his pack of cigarettes out of habit, glanced at it and seemed to realise something. He put it back in his pocket.

"My flat's a disaster right now, sir, and I doubt cigarette smoke is good for babies."

"Babies make me distraught," Falman said simply.

They turned to their superior with pleading faces. Roy sighed. Obviously, this wasn't going to be easy work. "Alright, I'll take care of her. But it would be in your interest to work properly, so I'll be able to leave early and she won't spend extra time at HQ!"

"Sir, with all due respect," Havoc said, "you've got to be kidding us!"

Just then, Riza bit Roy's hand. She had been playing with it, focused, for the last few minutes. Roy yelped in surprise, and Fuery chocked back a laugh.

"I think she understood that and didn't enjoy it!" Breda said in a deadpan voice.

"How could she understand? She's a baby!"

Roy lowered his eyes to Riza, who gave him a wide smile. She giggled loudly, as if she were making fun of him. It was entirely too cute, and Roy found himself smiling blissfully at her.

"How will we explain having her at the office?" By his serious question, Falman pulled him out of his awe. "People will assume she's yours. And there are few exceptions for the presence of children in Command centre."

"Some already assume a lot of things about me, and it won't stop me from doing what's right. Our priority is to find a way to get our Lieutenant back and take care of this young Miss until then. I'll personally conduct the interrogation of our prisoner. I'm sure she's got plenty of information to give us."

"And what do we say when people ask about the Lieutenant's absence?" Havoc asked. He was patting nervously on his pocket where his cigarettes were.

"We'll say that after the successful completion of a difficult mission, and thanks to her hard work, I graciously gave Lieutenant Hawkeye some days off. If they ask where she's gone, say that she needed some rest and went to visit her grandfather."

"Her grandfather?" Breda frowned. "Do you know if she actually has living grandparents?"

Roy shook his head. He didn't know if she'd any relatives besides her parents, who'd died long ago. She'd told him that her father was estranged from his family, but he didn't know anything else, especially about her mother's side. It was a perfect excuse, and no one could contradict him. It wasn't as though the military had records on the relatives of all its members, and Riza wasn't the kind of people to speak a lot about her family. Her private personality would help them, for sure.

"How will we explain that you're now in charge of an infant?" Falman asked.

Roy didn't think long. "Say I've got a cousin in the hospital, and she asked me to take care of her daughter while she's recovering. People can believe this or make their own assumptions. Now, we've got work to do, so let's get to do it!"

His subordinates replied with a collective "Yes sir!"

Then, they got on with the information on the robberies and the Transformer. Roy put mini Riza in the playpen they'd bought and installed in the office. She stood for a few seconds, before falling backward on the soft carpet. She let a joyful babble escape her lips and looked at Roy with a smile. Kneeling before her, he still didn't realize his subordinate, who'd promised to follow him on his ascension to the place of Fuhrer, who'd entrusted him with the secret of Flame alchemy, his childhood friend, was in front of him, looking like a baby. An innocent baby who depended on someone else to eat, sleep and be clean. Seeing her wriggle to flip on her belly, he wondered how old she was currently. Riza as he knew her was twenty-five and would be twenty-six by autumn. If he were right, she'd lost twenty-five years and was now six-months old. Was the transmutation reversible? He'd have to question the prisoner and study her circle. It was the only way for him to get answers and bring back his Lieutenant.

A phone rang and Breda answered.

"Colonel! The MPs are asking how they can dispose of the evidence they found in the house."

"They can bring them here. Tell them they mustn't touch the circle in the basement. I need it to be intact, especially if it can be useful to bring the Lieutenant back."

Two hours later, the office was invaded by boxes full of books, jewels, and random watchmaking equipment. The MPs had carefully separated personal belongings of the robber and her stolen goods.

"Falman, Breda, have a look on what has been stolen, and check if there're any similarities between the jewels. Then, you can inform the stores that they can retrieve what belongs to them. If it's still here, obviously."

Then, Roy let Fuery take care of mini Riza and left with Havoc. They drove to East City prison, where their prisoner had been locked. A prison guard led them to the interrogation room, where she was waiting for them, cuffed to a chair.

"She hasn't said a word," the guard told them. "Y'know, it's strange to keep a teenager here. Is she really dangerous?"

"We don't even know if she's really a teenager. She's likely to be an alchemist and knows how to change her current age."

Roy dismissed the guard and took a seat.

"First thing first," he said with a serious tone, "I want to know your name. We only know you by the surname we gave you during the investigation."

The girl raised an eyebrow, keeping her arrogant face.

"The Transformer, that's what we called you." Roy put the composite pictures on the table. "We thought you were an expert in disguise, until today. Now we know you use alchemy to change your appearance. However, it wasn't enough to hide you. Who are you? How old are you really?"

"You want her to get her appearance back, don't you?"

She threw a contemptuous look at Roy, who struggled to keep a straight face. The current situation was strange enough, he didn't need his personal feelings to take the lead. He had to stay professional.

"I'm an alchemist, too. I'll study your circle and your books myself, regardless of the time I must spend on it. I'll do it with or without your help." He frowned. "Now answer our questions. Who are you? Why did you rob these jewellery and watchmaker's stores? What did you do with your haul?"

In spite of the questions asked by both of the officers during the next hour, the girl didn't utter a word, only mockingly glancing at them. When they finally left, Roy and Havoc were empty handed and furious. As the prison's door closed behind them, Roy sighed tiredly. He needed to think about something else, anything else, and a walk would do some good. He gave the Second Lieutenant his car's keys.

"Go back to the HQ without me, I've got things to do."

He greeted Havoc and walked away. Ten minutes later, he was climbing the stairs to Riza's flat, glad to have had the idea of taking her keys from her purse. He opened the door and a black and white storm whirled around his legs.

"Hayate, calm down!"

The puppy stopped his mad race and lifted his head to Roy, curious.

"You're wondering what I'm doing here, right? Your owner won't be able to take care of you for a while, so I'll be the one looking after you. I'm taking you to the HQ. Ready for a walk?"

Hayate yapped joyfully and ran into the flat. Roy hadn't been there often, however nothing had really changed since the last time. Her furniture was scarce and her decoration barely existent. Roy saw the dog looking at him intensely, sat in front of a drawer where Riza might be keeping the leashes.

Twenty minutes later, after a walk that had been a run for Roy, they arrived at the HQ.

"Colonel! There you are!" Fuery exclaimed. "General Grumman passed here and asked to see you as soon as you were back."

"Alright. Any news?"

"According to Falman and Breda, the stolen jewels are all the same. Nothing has disappeared, it seems she hasn't sold them. However, we only found clocks and watches from her last theft. It seems she's like dragons. She gathers a treasure to sleep on it but doesn't like watches, so she gets rid of it. Mini Riza has fallen asleep after I fed her with a bottle. I think I've never been more embarrassed than going to the mess to warm a bottle with a baby in my arms."

"It's for a good cause, Master-Sergeant. Can you look after Hayate while I'm gone?"

The dog had felt mini Riza was his owner, since he laid next to her, protecting her. Roy smiled at the sight and took off his coat before leaving the room. When he arrived in his office, the general offered him to take a seat.

"First thing, Colonel, I want to thank you for your successful operation today. The investigation has been well done, and the arrest of the Transformer will restore the image of East City military force. I'll speak to the military administration, and you and your team can expect a bonus on your pay next month."

"Thank you sir, it's a great honour."

Roy knew Grumman since his first days in the East command centre and was still surprised by the trust they had for each other. In a few years he'd collected various pieces of advice to climb the ranks of the military without gaining too much interest, along with defeats in chess. Grumman had this familiar way to win over people and becoming his protegee had amazed Roy. At this time, he was only a Lieutenant-Colonel fresh from the battlefield that made him realise his ambition was bigger than what he had told a still innocent Riza.

"You're not here only to hear me praise your last success, Mustang. I'd like to ask you something."

"Ask away, sir."

"Can you tell me, honestly, where Lieutenant Hawkeye is right now?"

Roy frowned. He knew that people could wonder about Riza's absence, but the fact that Grumman cared was a bit strange.

"Of course," he replied. "I gave her a few days off. She told me she was going to visit her grandfather. It seems they haven't seen each other for years."

Grumman moved his back to the back of his chair, arms crossed and severe looking.

"About this baby in your office, is she really your cousin's daughter?"

"Yes, sir." Roy replied, troubled.

"Then how do you explain she looks so much like Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

Roy swallowed. This conversation was going in a way he didn't like.

"You know about the fraternisation laws, don't you Colonel?"

"Are you implying that this baby is mine and Lieutenant Hawkeye's?"

"Do you deny it?"

"I do! I have the utmost respect for her, and should I see her as more of a precious subordinate or a friend, I would know where to draw the line."

A brief disappointed expression appeared on the old General face. He sighed and bent over his desk, bringing himself nearer to Roy.

"Tell me the truth, Colonel. This baby is Lieutenant Hawkeye, isn't she?"

Grumman was too clairvoyant. It explained a lot about his successful career, but now Roy was in a delicate situation. He sighed and smiled contritely.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, sir. Our suspect was an alchemist, and Lieutenant Hawkeye has been taken in her transmutation array and is now a cute six-months old baby."

"Are you going to take care of her?"

Roy nodded. He told Grumman about the arrangement made with his subordinates and asked him if he would keep the secret.

"You'll have to explain in your report how this woman looked older or younger. And get Hawkeye back to normal. You've got less than a month before her absence looks suspect to the other officers."

"I'll do what I can, sir. After all, I don't think the brass will appreciate that one of their honoured guests doesn't show up for the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the victory in Ishval," Roy said bitterly.

He hadn't enjoyed the invitation for the parade and the military ball. He didn't like the idea of being under the light because of his actions in Ishval. He knew that Riza thought the same, but the choice wasn't theirs to make. The event would be a burden, and they wouldn't enjoy it. However, he had until May to bring Riza back to her normal state.

"Since we're good, you can go. Please, treat her with care."

Roy rose and greeted his superior officer. A question came into his mind as he walked to the door. He turned to face Grumman who was still at his desk.

"If I can ask, why do you care so much about Lieutenant Hawkeye's well-being?"

Grumman smiled faintly.

"Come for tea next Saturday, I've got a story to tell you."

For the next hours and days, Roy wondered about the meaning behind Grumman's invitation. Reports on the investigation and the arrest kept him busy for the rest of the week. Thanks to Falman's memory and Breda's knowledge they found the Transformer's real name and age. Meredith Hubert, 41, was a former talented jeweller who'd disappeared after an affair of imitated jewels. As soon as Roy threw the evidence at her face, she spoke.

She told him she was a victim in this affair, falsely accused of copying jewels from another jeweller, and written off from her guild. She'd decided to exercise justice herself, stealing the jewels copied from her own in East City first. She'd intended to go see in the other cities to gather all the copycats of her work. These were made with alchemy, mass-produced, and badly crafted. She'd assigned herself the mission of giving the jewels as proof of her innocence. This way, justice could be served.

"What would you say when the judges ask you where the jewels come from?" Roy asked. "Don't you think they would make the link between you and the robberies?"

Meredith Hubert sank deeper into her chair. She'd lost her superb when Roy said he knew who she was, and in result her wit had faltered.

"I don't care about what they would have thought, I want my justice."

"For now, justice won't be long to give its sentence," Roy replied. "Whatever the mitigating circumstances are, theft is still theft."

With these words, he left the room. He didn't interrogate her about her array and her alchemy because he'd set the objective of decoding the formulas alone to bring back Riza.

Grumman might have told Rebecca Catalina about the Lieutenant's current state, because she barged into the office the next day to yell at him about his foolishness and his inability to protect Riza.

"How could you let her in such a state? Are you sure you'll be able to bring her back? Do you feel competent enough to take care of a baby while doing your work?"

Roy raised a hand, trying to stop the flow of questions of the Second Lieutenant. He understood her worry about his ability to look after a baby when he had to work normally. He reassured her and promised her he would give mini Riza all the care and attention she needed. He added that she could come freely to see how he managed with her, as long as Grumman gave her his permission.

"It's not only Lieutenant Hawkeye's interest that I take care of her, but mine too. I wish she would come back as soon as possible, since she's one of the best of my team and one of the reasons behind our good results. Subconsciously, I believe we lean on her too much, and this could give us the opportunity to work on our flaws, so we could lift the useless weight off her shoulders."

Rebecca gave Roy an unconvinced glance. He knew he'd been sincere, so he'd to prove to her he was able to keep his promise. Eventually, Rebecca nodded, still dubious, and left the office, but not without warning him she would come by as soon as she could. It wasn't because her best friend was a baby that she couldn't see her anymore. Roy smiled as she left. He wasn't done with hearing about this story.

Evenings passed and looked alike. Roy would come back from the HQ, take Hayate for a walk, Riza in a baby-carrier, before going back home. He would give mini Riza her dinner, bathe her, and dive into his research until the baby fell asleep in his arms.

He'd seen she was really quiet and observed around her a lot, seeming focused. She smiled a lot too, mostly when he was looking at her, and cried only around mealtime, or when he'd to change her nappies. The first times had been embarrassing, because even if she was a baby, for Roy she was still his Lieutenant. Fuery had a much younger sister and taught him how to do it. It didn't prevent him from being extra careful each time he had to change or bathe her.

During these times, he liked to speak about what he'd discovered, how the investigation was going, or simply about his feelings. On the day before his meeting with Grumman, he shared his worries with her, while carefully washing her thin short hair.

"I don't know what General Grumman wants to talk about, but somehow I feel like I'll have to tell you after you get your real appearance back. It's a private meeting, so it's not about the military."

When she glanced at him, innocent, placing her small hand on his, he got the strange feeling she could understand him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Here you go with the 3rd chapter! Thank you [Teaaavis](https://teaaavis.tumblr.com/) and [Dragonifyoudare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonifyoudare) for betaing most of the chapter!  
> Thank to those who sent kudos and subscribed!  
> If you feel like you want to say something, please, don't hesitate!
> 
> The point of view is different here, and I hope that even if you're surprised, you'll like it! You'll get a big story, but I won't say anymore here.
> 
> Then, enjoy!

As Riza regained consciousness, she felt like something had changed. She was lying on her back under a black sheet. She hadn’t the energy to move something else than her arms and legs, and their weight felt odd to her. The black sheet moved, and Mustang’s face appeared. His eyes widened when he saw her, as if she looked… different?

“Hawkeye?”

She shuddered when she heard his uncertain tone. Again, she saw the green light, and remembered this strange feeling of something being taken from her. She wanted to speak, but her mouth uttered a completely different sound. Taken aback, she reacted in an unexpected way. She began to cry. A powerful wail escaped her, and she couldn’t stop it.

At the moment Roy took her in his arms, she understood. He couldn’t have lifted her in such a way a few minutes earlier. She’d become…

“A baby?” Havoc’s voice stopped her cries. “Hawkeye is a baby?”

“Seems like she is,” Roy replied.

He was holding her against him, and his body warm soothed her. She calmed down, trying to process with the information. She’d wanted to catch the thief in the basement, and instead had been caught in a transmutation. A transmutation that had changed her to a baby. And now she was curled up in her superior’s arms, covered almost entirely by her black turtleneck, enjoying a sight she’d never imagined: the bottom of his chin.

“Bring our prisoner up, I’ll gather the Lieutenant’s things,” Roy ordered Havoc.

Once the Second Lieutenant was gone, Roy folded carefully Riza’s uniform. She couldn’t prevent the loud “gah!” that left her mouth when he took her trousers. Fortunately, he didn't feel the need to check the color of her underwear or anything equally ridiculous. When he was done, he lifted her again and laid her on her belly on the stack of clothes.

“Sorry, I have to check something,” he whispered.

He lifted the fabric of her T-shirt and she felt cool air on her skin. She tried to turn around, but her muscles were too weak. Roy put her T-shirt back on her and took her in his arms.

“No tattoo.” He sounded relieved, and Riza smiled as she saw his relaxed features.

The sudden thought of having her adult mind in a baby body petrified her. She was trapped, unable to move by herself and would have to rely entirely on the other guys of the team. But would they know how to take care of a baby?

Roy carried her out of the house, where the MPs were taking the transformer away in a police van.

The team stopped on their way back to the office to pick up the necessities for caring for a baby, as well as some toys. One of them was a stuffed dog, and Riza had a sudden burst of worry for Hayate. Would any of the team know how often to walk him, or how much to feed him?

Once they got back to the office, Roy and Havoc left again, trusting Fuery to take care of her. Kain tried to play with her, and Riza took the opportunity to exercise her weak arms, pulling the rattle to her when the Master Sergeant was still holding it. He smiled at her fondly.

“Do you know that my little sister was as strong as you when she was a baby? She’s twelve years younger than me, so I used to take care of her. Now she acts like a princess and doesn’t want to put dirt on her dresses. Actually, she’s changed a lot. And I don’t think she’ll grow to be like you, Mini-Riza.” He frowned and seemed to think for a moment. “I feel like we shouldn’t call you Mini-Riza in the office, but the Colonel didn’t give us any name… What about your code name? No one knows it, so there won’t be intrusive questions about that.”

Riza babbled her approval. Elizabeth was the code name chosen unanimously by the team for their first undercover mission. Only Roy knew it was her mother’s name.

Hunger hit her along with the realization that she hadn’t eaten since before noon. She looked at the clock and saw that it was the middle of the afternoon. Unable to express her hunger in another way, she began to cry. For goodness sake, why wouldn’t her body do what she wanted?

Fuery startled at her cries and he looked around him before taking her in his arms. He grabbed a baby bottle and filled it with several spoons of milk powder. Then he left the office with her.

By chance, the mess hall was empty when Fuery entered. He poured hot water usually intended for tea or coffee into the bottle and stirred with the milk powder to cool it a bit. Riza drank voraciously. She hadn’t expected it to taste good, but her baby taste buds liked the flavor, as well as the warmth. Back in the office, Fuery laid her on the sleeping pad Roy had bought, and in a matter of minutes she had drifted off to sleep.

Later, voices woke her up. Her gaze met General Grumman’s. She gasped, surprised, and he looked astounded for a few seconds before smiling at her.

“She’s really cute! Sergeant Fuery, who did you say she is?”

“She’s the daughter of the colonel’s cousin. Her mother couldn’t take care of her during her stay at the hospital, so she trusted him with Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth, eh?”

Grumman turned again to her, a strange light in his eyes. He placed his hand on her forehead and her cheek, like a grandfather would do with his granddaughter. Suddenly, Riza saw him under a new light. Some saw him as an embarrassing officer relegated in the East. Others, especially women, saw him as an old pervert. There weren’t a lot of people, Roy among them, who saw him as a model of ambition and craftiness. He was all the above, but something made Riza think that he was more than that. He’d been a happy man in the past but had lost something or someone precious for him. He was an incomplete man, who was finding a bit of what was missing in a little child. Instinctively, Riza smiled, trying to comfort him. Grumman smiled back and got up.

“As soon as Mustang is back, send him over to my office. I have to speak with him.”

Fuery greeted him as he left. Half an hour later, Havoc was back, telling Fuery that the Colonel would come by foot. Roy arrived with Hayate on a leash. He freed him and the puppy turned around in the office, taking his marks, as usual, before approaching Riza. She held out her hands to him, happy to see her dog. Hayate tilted his head, inquiring, and sniffed her. He whined and laid down beside her, allowing her to lean on him. However, he kept his head high as he monitored the office around him.

Riza felt relaxed, and the warm body of her dog sent her to sleep soon enough. “Being a baby uses a lot of energy,” Riza thought as she fell asleep.

When she woke up, her environment had changed, and she was hungry. She knew the apartment she was in. She’d spent some evenings here with the team. It was the Colonel’s living room. Hayate was next to her, but her commanding officer was nowhere to be seen. Worried, she tried to call him, but she only uttered a cry. The result was the same and Roy walked out of a room, chest naked, to see what was happening. He approached Riza and she wondered if he would notice her warm cheeks. His torso was… interesting, she thought embarrassed. Maybe he thought she had the mind of a baby? Or that once back to normal she wouldn’t remember anything. Even if the sight were enjoyable, she would have to remind him that it wasn’t the best way to behave next to a baby.

Roy kneeled next to her and smiled. “Hey, Mini-Riza, did you sleep well? Are you hungry?”

Riza tried to nod, but she only managed to tilt her head to one side and the other clumsily. She felt like her body transformed her adult gestures into reactions that babies would have. Could she make him understand that she was still the same inside?

He prepared a bottle, and she emptied it as he cooked his own dinner. “We gotta get used to this life for a time,” he said as he began to eat. “I’ll take care of you until I decode the array. Sorry in advance if I do something wrong. I’m not used to taking care of young children, except Elicia, and even less when they’re babies. I’ll do my best.”

He stayed silent, enjoying his meal. Then, it seemed to Riza that he’d got an idea.

“I’m speaking about Elicia, and somehow I could ask Gracia for some tips!” He winced. “That would mean telling Hughes, and to be honest, I don’t really want to hear him teasing me about it for months. However, if it’s for you, I can handle it.”

He finished his plate and washed it. Then he picked up Riza from the playpen where she was laying. He bathed her delicately and changed her into her pajamas before laying her in a cot. He stayed bent over her, looking at her with a sad smile.

Riza didn’t know what thoughts were going through his mind, but she hadn’t seen him this sad for a long time. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him all would be alright, that he would find a solution, but she couldn’t do it in her state. Moreover, she was only his subordinate, nothing else. What use could it be of? Still, she stared at his black eyes, reaching her hand toward him. She could at least do that.

Roy watched her, surprised, before taking her hand in his, smiling. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to worry you, and it seems that I failed. How can I face my Lieutenant when I’m unable to keep an assured face in front of her baby form?”

He sighed, and Riza squeezed her little fingers around his ring finger.

“I’ll find a way,” he mumbled. “Grumman knows about it. He’s found by himself that you weren’t the one we’d decided you would be. I knew the old man was witty, but I didn’t expect so much from him.”

Roy didn’t leave her until she was fast asleep. She dived into a dreamless sleep, long and restful, as she hadn’t got for a long time.

Several days passed, and Riza could witness the daily life of the team without her. The atmosphere had changed, as the men were more serious, less joking, more hard-working than usual. Riza couldn’t say if it was because of her absence as Lieutenant Hawkeye or her presence as Mini-Riza. However, as soon as she cried because she was hungry or her nappies were wet, they would forget all their files until the issue was settled. After a few alerts she decided she would tease them about it as soon as she would recover her appearance.

Rebecca came from time to time to the office, spending her break with Riza. She fed her, changed her nappies when it was needed so the men couldn’t be distracted from their work. She played with her and occupied Hayate at the same time. Riza was glad and decided her friend would be the first she would see once she would be back to her normal state.

Roy left for long hours to interrogate Meredith Hubert. His mood for the afternoon often depended on what she’d said or not. He spent his nights researching every element of the photos of the array taken in the basement, while holding Riza in his free arm.

Riza liked these moments. She could see the deep concentration worn on his face, smell his scent of soap and wood fire she knew for years, even before he mastered flame alchemy. It reminded her of the years of his apprenticeship spent with her father, the friendship they had built as time passed, and her feelings for him growing in her, carefully hidden. Roy was her direct superior, but anti-fraternization laws forbade love relationships between soldiers. Riza was realistic: even if Roy shared her feelings, they couldn’t do anything besides keeping them hidden or hiding their relationship. In both cases it could impact their professional lives, and if they were discovered in the latter, Roy’s goal would be jeopardized. She couldn’t allow him to go to this point, so she would keep her feelings buried deep in her, whatever it could cost her.

On Friday night, as Roy bathed her, he spoke about the meeting in Grumman’s estate.

“To be honest, I don’t even know what he wants to tell me. It’s the first time he convokes me…” he hesitated. “Invites me? To his house. Maybe I must worry, maybe not. It could be something important or just meaningless information. I’m ignorant here, and I can tell you that it’s making me anxious. It’s strange, can you tell?” he added, creating foam in her hair with the shampoo. “I’ve never been intimidated by Grumman, before tonight.”

If she was honest, Riza had to admit the same thoughts. She’d never had the opportunity to speak with Grumman alone for five years, and the only things she knew about him were what Roy told her after their talks (their chess matches). Tomorrow’s meeting promised many instructive news, but she was apprehensive about it too.

* * *

Grumman’s mansion was an imposing building from the 1800’s, with tall windows, surrounded by a wooded park. From her baby seat in the back of the car, Riza saw the house appear through the century-old trees as Roy drove from the wrought iron gates. She’d never imagined Grumman living in this kind of estate, so out of the city, far from bustle and political maneuvers. It was perhaps an old family house he’d inherited from a respectable ancestor.

Roy stopped the car in front of the main door and a butler helped him to place Riza in a pram he’d brought. A butler and a pram from the last century… Grumman was rich enough to have an old-fashioned lifestyle. She saw a freshly cut lawn where Black Hayate ran to stretch his legs. The flowerbeds were tended, the alley empty of any weeds. He’d got a gardener at least, and maybe other domestic workers. Did he live alone in this mansion? Did he employ people only to give them a job and because he’d the means to do so?

Her questions were interrupted as they entered the entrance hall and followed a corridor, led by the butler. Grumman’s employees were competent enough to keep the most far and hidden corners clean from any spider webs, to clean the dust from the frames of the paintings and the trinkets.

They arrived in a living room with a white ceiling with molding.

“Ah, Mustang, here you are!”

Grumman’s voice sounded cheerful, and Roy replied politely. “Thank you for inviting us.” The ‘us’ Riza heard was oddly heart-warming. Her current state didn’t allow her to tell him that, but she wouldn’t anyways. She felt like she had to witness the conversation between the two men. Not only by listening, but by seeing them. She had to get out of this old pram that lacked some comfort. It hadn’t served for years but had been used for another child before her. Maybe Grumman, she thought. But imagining the commanding officer of Eastern HQ as a child was strange. She shook her head and began to babble, bringing Roy and Grumman’s attention to her.

The Colonel took her in his arms and smiled.

“Apparently, Mini-Riza is more vocal about her needs of attention and affection than my loyal adjutant.” He said with a light tone.

His words hit her, and she looked at him, surprised. Had he seen something? Did he know how strong and self-controlled she had to be sometimes in the office? Still… She could have looked at him differently one day, or her hand had stayed for a few seconds longer than usual on his shoulder during a mission… And he’d seen that. She wasn’t sure of anything and didn’t want to imagine something that could be wrong.

Roy and Grumman sat on opposed armchairs. Riza was sitting on Roy’s knee, his hand holding her against him. The General was wearing an elegant suit. It was an unusual sight for Riza, who only saw him in uniform. Another man arrived and put a tea tray on the table between them. Grumman filled both cups and offered one to the Colonel.

“It’s Xingese tea,” he said. “It’s a shame that relationships between Amestris and Xing don't exist. It could be really interesting, in cultural and political aspects. But that’s not why you’re here.” He seemed to look for words for a few seconds. “What I’m about to tell you, Colonel Mustang, is entirely true and confidential. I’m counting on you and Hawkeye – when you would have told her – to keep the secret.”

“Why Hawkeye?” Roy asked, surprised.

“This story is about her past.”

Riza spluttered, surprised. What did he know about her? They’d never told each other anything else than greetings!

The old man moved on his chair and began to tell his story.

“Decades ago, I married, and with my wife we have had a daughter, Elizabeth.”

Riza startled. It was her mother’s name. Maybe it was a coincidence. Roy began to rub her belly, soothing her without knowing it.

“Elizabeth was a sweet girl, lively and smart. She enjoyed going out for walks or rides with her horse. During her childhood, we preserved her from the outside world. My wife and a few preceptors educated her, and I climbed the ranks of the military. When she was fifteen, we registered her in a boarding school for girls, and she came back for the holidays. Most of the time she spent her days in East City with her friends, or she wandered in the countryside with her horse. She was free back then. During a ride she fell on a young man who’s strolling in the forest, seeking inspiration. She told us about her adventure that evening, and we recommended her to be prudent with her encounters. To us, it was the end of the story. So, we never knew she’d seen him again and become his friend. One day, when Elizabeth was seventeen, I received a mutation notice. I had to go to Central. When I told Elizabeth, she replied that she wouldn’t come with us. She was in love and wanted to stay with the man she loved.”

Riza was captivated by Grumman’s story, and when she looked up, she saw that Roy was too. She knew the face he was making. He was thinking. Grumman took a sip from his cup and resumed his story. His voice sounded sad now.

“She told us that he was an alchemist, and even if he was eight years older than her and didn’t like the military, he loved her, and they would leave together. I remember the wrath that overwhelmed me that day. For the first time of her life, I shouted at her. I told her she was too young to be conscious of the consequences of her decision, that alchemy wasn’t an easy job, especially if he wasn’t a State alchemist. I told her she would be poor all her life. I yelled she wouldn’t leave this house before our departure for Central, she had to forget that childish and hopeless love story.”

Grumman rubbed his hand on his face, looking weary.

“I’d never seen my daughter so distraught. She left us and sheltered in her room. She didn’t leave it for the rest of the spring break. When she left for school, two servants escorted her. Usually she was going by herself, but I didn’t want to take any chance. Somehow, she managed to fly away and left a letter in one of the servants’ purse. She found it in the evening when Elizabeth was already far away. This letter is the last thing I have from her. My wife didn’t bear our daughter’s departure and went back to her parents’. We never divorced and saw each other from time to time but seeing me reminded her too much about my attitude toward Elizabeth. She fell ill and died a few years later. I’m sorry, I’m going astray…”

Roy shook his head.

“I’m sorry for you, sir.”

“Don’t be, I don’t deserve it. I lost my wife and daughter because of my stubbornness. Believe me, I’ve learnt my lesson and I don’t wish to make the same mistakes again. Elizabeth’s letter was short. She wrote she loved us, but that her Berthold needed her love and her support more than us.”

When she heard ‘Berthold’, Riza knew for sure that it wasn’t a coincidence. She looked at Roy and realized he’d come to the same conclusion. He opened his eyes wide but said nothing. He glanced at Riza with eyes full of grief, and she knew he was already thinking about how he would tell her this story.

“She was leaving the nest, and we had to deal with it. She didn’t give us any address, nothing to keep in touch. I only had her alchemist’s first name, and all my research from Central was done in vain. Elizabeth Grumman had disappeared. For years I grieved the loss of my daughter, knowing I would never see her again. Then, one day, I saw a young private fresh from Ishval looking like her. After I learnt her name, Riza Hawkeye, I looked for her past, the place she was from, her parents. And I found something. I found out she was the daughter of Berthold and Elizabeth Hawkeye, who’d both died of illness, ten years apart in a small Eastern village. I went there to see where my daughter had lived, where my granddaughter had grown. I found two gravestones, an old empty house, and a few people who’d known the Hawkeyes. They told me that Berthold Hawkeye had been sick for a long time, but it didn’t prevent him from teaching an apprentice, Roy Mustang. His apprentice had left to enter the military, only to return the day Berthold died, and leave again a few weeks later. Several months passed, and it was Riza’s turn to leave this place empty. No one had ever heard about them since, except in the newspapers during the war.”

As Grumman finished his story, silence settled in the room. Cogs were turning his Riza’s mind, as she tried to digest all this fresh information. Grumman was her grandfather. He hadn’t wanted his daughter to marry a poor alchemist and had never heard about her until he saw her among the other soldiers returning from the battlefield and staying in the ranks. But that was five years ago, why did he stay silent all this time? Roy expressed her question aloud.

“For all this time, you knew the Lieutenant was your granddaughter and you didn’t say anything?”

“I’m an old man who’d spent most of his life planning, discussing with only other officers, high-ranked people, and my personal life has been driven to the background since my wife died. I don’t know how a young military woman would have taken the news about her living grandfather working in the same Command center. I dreaded the moment I would tell her.”

“And yet you want me to tell her.”

Grumman sighed and nodded. Since he knew her identity, he’d kept it for himself, but had managed to ease her life, and it could be because of that he’d taken Roy under his protection. While keeping Roy near him, Grumman could ensure that his granddaughter was well. Riza trusted Roy, and if he were his intermediary, she could accept the truth more easily. Roy frowned as the general spoke.

“With all due respect, sir, I think she would prefer to learn it from you, not someone else.”

Roy was right. It wasn’t because she trusted her superior officer that Grumman’s story would be accepted. Even if he didn’t know how to speak to a subordinate who was a woman and much younger, he was her grandfather, and the only one appropriate to tell her. He was her grandfather. Realization hit her hard. She wasn’t anymore alone. She had family. Other than the one she had with Mustang’s energetic and merry team. She couldn’t hold back her emotion anymore and began to cry. She wanted to do it quietly, but her new body didn’t work like that. She wailed as tears flowed on her cheeks. It was so enraging not to be able to express herself as usual.

Surprised by Riza’s sudden outburst, Roy lifted face to him and looked at her, his eyes full of concern.

“Is she hungry?” Grumman asked.

Roy nodded.

“Do you want to take her in your arms as I get her bottle ready?”

Her grandfather’s eyes widened, and he nodded. He took her in an awkward embrace, but Riza could see the same look in his eyes as a few days ago. She stopped crying and smiled at him. His eyes were now wet with tears, and she knew that despite the circumstances that had prevented them to meet earlier, she wanted to love this providential grandfather.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t know you earlier, little Riza,” he whispered. “And it’s only because of an accident that I dare approach you. I don’t even know how you’ll react when I’ll tell you all of this.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand,” Roy said. “After all, you’re her only family.”

He gave the bottle to Grumman and Riza took it with joy. Her body was small, but she needed to eat often.

“I’m not her only family, Mustang. I’ve seen how you are together, and the way your team works. You’re all more than colleagues for her, I know it. If I may add, I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful father in a few years. You’re training well right now.”

“I won’t be a father alone, sir. And it will be a long time before it happens.”

Roy’s answer had been immediate, and Riza’s heart bounced in her chest as she heard him. She didn’t want to get false hopes and felt like her body betrayed her. Grumman grinned and changed the subject.

“How’s your life, these days?”


End file.
